You’ve got the wings ready. The couch is cleared. You’re frantically searching for what time playoffs today starts because, honestly, it’s mid-January and football is supposed to be on.
But here is the cold, hard truth: There are no NFL playoff games today, Thursday, January 15, 2026.
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It feels wrong, I know. We’ve been spoiled by Thursday Night Football all season long. But once the postseason hits, the NFL shifts its schedule to maximize those massive weekend TV windows. If you’re looking for the Divisional Round, you’re basically a few days early. The league is currently in that weird "breather" period between the chaos of Wild Card Weekend and the high-stakes Divisional matchups.
When Do the NFL Playoffs Actually Return?
Since you aren't getting your fix today, you need to mark your calendar for Saturday. That is when the real heavy lifting begins. We are down to the final eight teams. The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are finally coming off their first-round byes, well-rested and probably a little bit rusty.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos: 4:30 PM ET on CBS. Buffalo just narrowly escaped Jacksonville in the Wild Card round (27-24), and now they have to head into the thin air of Mile High.
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: 8:00 PM ET on FOX. This is the primetime slot. It’s an NFC West bloodbath. Seattle took the top seed, but the Niners just dismantled Philly.
Sunday, January 18, 2026
- Houston Texans at New England Patriots: 3:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN. C.J. Stroud and the Texans looked unstoppable against Pittsburgh. New England’s defense, however, is a different beast entirely.
- Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears: 6:30 PM ET on NBC. Chicago is still buzzing after that nail-biter against Green Bay. Simone Biles was just spotted in the city celebrating Jonathan Owens' win, so expect the energy at Soldier Field to be insane.
What Time Playoffs Today: Other Sports to Watch
If you're strictly looking for what time playoffs today applies to any sport, you might find some action in the European Men's Handball Championship which literally starts today, January 15. It's being hosted across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It’s not the NFL, but if you need a competitive bracket fix, that’s your best bet.
For basketball and hockey fans, today is a massive regular-season night. While these aren't "playoffs" yet, the seeding battles are getting incredibly tense.
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NBA Slate for Tonight:
The Orlando Magic are actually playing the Memphis Grizzlies in Berlin, Germany. That’s a 2:00 PM ET tip-off if you're catching it on Amazon Prime. Later tonight, we've got a huge matchup with the Boston Celtics visiting the Miami Heat at 7:30 PM ET.
NHL Action:
The Vegas Golden Knights are hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at 9:30 PM ET. Vegas is on a five-game heater, and Jack Eichel is currently leading all American-born players in points per game. If you can't have playoff football, a high-stakes Vegas home game is a pretty solid consolation prize.
Common Misconceptions About the Postseason Schedule
A lot of people assume the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship is happening this week. It isn't.
That massive showdown between No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami is scheduled for Monday, January 19, 2026. Yes, Indiana is the top seed. It’s been a wild year for the Hoosiers, but you’ll have to wait until Monday night at 7:30 PM ET to see if they can finish the job at Hard Rock Stadium.
Strategic Next Steps for Sports Fans
Since there’s no playoff football today, use this gap to set your streaming alerts.
- Check your Paramount+ login. The Bills/Broncos game on Saturday is a CBS broadcast, so you’ll need that or a cable login ready to go by 4:30 PM ET.
- Verify your Peacock subscription. The Sunday night Rams/Bears game is an NBC exclusive for many streamers.
- Watch the injury reports. Keep a close eye on the Bills' roster. Surviving the Wild Card round is one thing, but playing a rested Denver team with lingering injuries is a recipe for a blowout.
The search for what time playoffs today might have come up empty for the NFL, but the board is set for a massive weekend of Divisional action. Grab the remote, set the DVR, and maybe watch some NBA in the meantime.